Nature_and_Environment.107

Green Cities, Brown Suburbs

To save the planet, build more skyscrapersespecially in
California. ...

But Californias abundant restrictions on new construction dont do
much to deter building across America as a whole. No matter what the
Bay Area does, plenty of new households will come into being, and
they will need new homes. By restricting local development,
California regulators just make sure that construction occurs
someplace else. That someplace else tends to be a lot less
environmentally friendly than the California coast, blessed as it is
with a superbly temperate climate. The net result of this process:
land-use restrictions in California increase carbon emissions and
raise the risks of global warming.